Winter Storm Frankie
Winter Storm Frankie was the sixth storm named by the Weather Channel during the Winter of 2017-18. It was named on December 27 and brought a wide swath of heavy snow from the Pacific Northwest to the Great Lakes through December 31. * Frankie started out as a weak low pressure system in North Pacific Ocean. However it started producing heavy snowfall in the Pacific Northwest as it moved ashore of the Oregon Coast as it pulled arctic air moving southwest from Canada. The system produced enough snowfall for it to snow on the Southern Oregon coast and in the Rogue Valley. Frankie also produced snowfall in Southeast Oregon, the Klamath Mountains, and the Southern Cascades. * As Frankie moved through the Intermountain West on December 28 it produced very heavy snowfall in the Rocky Mountains. A 200 mile section of Interstate 70 in Colorado had to be closed due to whiteout conditions. ** As Frankie moved into the Southern Plains on December 29, a stronger surface low developed over Southern Texas. As forecasters monitored its development and a high pressure system in place over the Plains, they predicted 6 inches of snow or more in the Midwest. The Chicago Metro Area and Northwestern Indiana were placed under lake-effect snow warnings while in Lake Michigan, gale warnings were issued. In other parts of the Midwest, winter storm warnings were issued. * Frankie rapidly intensified on December 30, becoming stronger than the forecasters predicted and slightly upgraded their snowfall totals. Another portion of Interstate 70 in Central Kansas was closed due to whiteout conditions. Portions of Interstate 80 in Iowa and Interstate 90 in South-Central Minnesota were closed because of the storm. * Frankie left the United States on December 31. In its wake, it a fresh blanket of up to 18 inches of snow in the Midwest. Snowfall Totals from Frankie Oregon * 2.6 inches in Port Orford * 2.9 inches in Medford * 4 inches in Klamath Falls * 8 inches at Burns Junction * 12.5 inches on Mount McLoughlin California * 10 inches near Elbow Springs Trailhead Nevada * 1.9 inches near Andy's Place Idaho * 15 inches on Mount Dollarhead * 5.5 inches in Mountain Home * 3.5 inches near Burley Utah * 20 inches on King's Peak * 2.6 inches in Garden Wyoming * 10 inches near Fontenelle Colorado * 34 inches on Capitol Peak * 7.5 inches near Ninaview Texas * 3.5 inches in Wichita Falls * 3.3 inches near Perryton * 1.5 inches in Knox City Oklahoma * 3.8 inches in Guymon * 4.5 inches in Oklahoma City * 1.6 inches in Tulsa * 6.5 inches in Seiling Kansas * 5 inches in Wichita * 6.5 inches in Topeka * 5.2 inches in Lawrence * 8.5 inches in Salina * 11.5 inches near Marion Missouri * 4 inches in Kansas City * 12 inches near Rock Port * 6.3 inches in Saint Joseph Nebraska * 12.1 inches near Falls City * 8 inches in Omaha Iowa * 18 inches in Avoca * 3 inches in Des Moines * 0.3 inches in Sioux City * 8.5 inches in Council Bluffs * 4.5 inches in Ames Minnesota * 12 inches near Owatonna * 7 inches in Minneapolis * 8.5 inches in Saint Paul * 4 inches in Rochester Wisconsin * 7.5 inches in Eau Claire * 10.5 inches in Barron Michigan * 9 inches near Ironwood